Lily in the Panzer
by potatovodka
Summary: Yukari has some feels for her commander, and she finally lets her know. Takes place shortly after the match with Pravda. Rated M for situations.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Girls und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

Yukari had always looked up to Miho, not only as a friend but also as a leader and as an inspiration. She was beyond overjoyed when she joined the tankery team with her. Yukari knew there was something else that she liked about her tankery teammate, but she didn't know just what. She wrote nightly about it in her diary. Everyone had made assumptions about her feelings, but out of respect for her, they didn't say anything to Miho.

She started feeling more attracted to Miho during the match against Pravda in the snow. She wasn't attracted in simply the physical way, although she did feel something physical for her. She admired her resolve, not wanting to quit but also for pepping up the teams with the anglerfish dance and spurring everyone on to victory. She felt as though she wanted to be even closer to her idol because Miho put her friends first and she loved that kind of selflessness.

Yukari was up late one night, writing in her diary again. 'Today, Nishizumi San took a punishment for a first year student who hadn't done anything wrong herself. The girl was blamed for something nobody had even done, and Nishizumi San took her punishment. She's so selfless. No wonder everyone likes her. I know I do u. I hope she'll return my feelings.' She finished that thought with a sigh. "I think that's enough for tonight." She said to herself quietly as she closed her diary. She should've made sure it was locked before she slipped it into her bag.

...

The next day, everyone was gathered in the locker room near the tank hangar, getting dressed before practice. Yukari sat her bag down on the bench while she dressed for the day, unaware that her diary had slipped out and fell under the bench, laying open. After everyone was dressed, they headed out to the hangar to perform checks, reload and refuel their tanks. Miho ran back to grab her canteen and looked down to see the diary laying open. She bent down to grab it, hoping to see whose it was so she could return it. She saw her name and figured that since it was about her, maybe it wouldn't hurt to just glance at the page it was open to. She read the nice things that were written about her, and how it seemed that the author had a bit of a crush on her. "Awh, someone likes me." She said as she picked it up and closed it. That's when she saw the name of the owner, which was Yukari. "Oh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She's a nice girl. I think I'll have a word with her after practice today. I'll return this to her, though." Miho finished, locking the diary before grabbing her canteen and heading out.

Once she joined up with everyone in the hangar, she walked up to Yukari and gave her back the diary. "I guess this slipped out of your bag. Saw it under the bench." Miho said with a smile.

"Thanks, Nishizumi San. I think I'd just about die if someone read this." Yukari chuckled as she put the diary in her pocket.

The whole time during practice, Miho had what Yukari had written in the back of her mind, but she didn't lose focus. That would occasionally glance at her, and Miho would look at her from time to time as well. Yukari was unaware that Miho had seen one of the pages inside her personal book.

Miho saw through the commander's periscope what some of the other teams looked like they were trying to do and ordered the tank into the treeline where she was planning on setting up an ambush. Once the tank was safely in cover, everyone jumped out and started covering the Panzer with branches and leaves. Once the Panzer was covered, everyone got back in to wait for their prey to roll right into their sights. Everyone opened a little snack to pass the time. Yukari also took the time to write more in her diary. 'Nishizumi San gave my diary back to me. Whew. I would've had an awful lot of explaining to do if she found out about my feelings.'

Waiting patiently paid off for the Panzer crew. The high profile of the M3 Lee was giving away its position as it drove down the path across from where the Panzer lied in wait. Once the moment was just right, Hana squeezed the trigger and sent a round hurdling toward the M3. The round struck and the white flag popped up as the tank rolled to a stop. They decided to displace, so as to not leave themselves exposed to fire from any of the remaining tanks.

...

After practice was finished for the day, all of the crews parked their tanks in the hangar and headed back to the locker room. Everyone showered up and changed back into their regular attire, and everyone except Yukari and Miho had left. Yukari walked over to Miho to thank her. "Nishizumi San, I can't thank you enough." Yukari started as she bowed. "I can't imagine what would've happened if a gossip had seen what's in here."

"Actually, there's something I needed to talk to you about." Miho responded.

"What's up?"

"I feel kind of bad about this. Your diary was open when I picked it up, and I caught a glance of some of what was written." Miho bowed in apology. "I'm so sorry for that."

Yukari felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. "Um... What exactly did you see?"

"Nice things about me. Thanks, by the way."

"Thanks for what? I don't think I did anything special."

"Don't be modest. I only saw the one page, and you seem to really like me. If you had feelings, you could've told me."

"But... I didn't want you to think..."

"Think what? If you like me, you like me. I already like you as a friend, and we've gotten really close thanks to tankery."

Yukari didn't know what to make of this response. She couldn't tell if Miho was putting her in the friend zone or if she was going to go the other way. "I suppose we have gotten rather close. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't want you to find out like this."

"Again, I'm sorry for reading what I did. It'll never happen again. Can you forgive me?" Miho asked as she took Yukari's hands.

Yukari started thinking that it might be going her way after all. "There's nothing to forgive, since I was going to tell you eventually."

"You sure? I mean, if we're going to be dating, I want to be straight up about everything."

"Yes, I'm sure. I didn't..." Yukari stopped on a dime. "W-what did you just say?"

"If we're going to be a couple, you know dating and all, I think we should be open and honest."

"You mean... You'll" Yukari started, but Miho put a finger over her mouth.

"Be your girlfriend? Yes. Just please, tell me you'll forgive me. I don't want to feel bad going into this."

Yukari could barely manage to get the words out, knowing that Miho was indeed returning her feelings. "Okay, I'll forgive you."

Miho wrapped her arms around Yukari and gave her a warm, loving hug to start things off. "From now on, you can tell me everything."

Yukari looked at her diary and slipped it into her bag. "I promise, I'll tell you everything. Now... Would it be too soon to ask for a kiss?"

"Yes. I don't kiss until after the first date."

"Okay. Next time we make landfall, let's go out. Okay?"

"Sounds good!"


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Girls und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

Miho took Yukari's hand and walked out of the locker room with her. Most of the rest of the tankery teams were still outside the locker room and saw the newly formed couple, and everyone ran over to ask them about their new relationship. "Yukarin, I see you asked out your crush!" Saori beamed. "Looks like she said yes."

"How did you know?" Yukari asked, not sure what to make of the question.

"Come on, Yukari. It was plain as day." Erwin chuckled. "The way you looked at her and how you'd always be writing in your diary."

"Don't tease her, you guys." Miho said in Yukari's defense. "I like her the same way she likes me."

"You gonna kiss her?" Saori inquired.

"Not yet." Yukari replied. "She said no kiss until after the first date, and I can wait until then."

"I suppose a little peck won't hurt." Miho said, catching Yukari off guard with a quick, light kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, my." Yukari giggled as she started blushing.

...

That night in her bunk, Yukari sat awake writing in her diary again. 'Nishizumi San said yes! We hugged, we held hands and she even kissed me on the cheek! I can't imagine being any happier than I am now.' She kept recounting what happened earlier in the day, feeling a great sense of joy. She started imagining their first date. Everything from what she was going to wear, down to what they could do for entertainment. "I guess it'll help if I find out what port we're stopping at next, so I can plan things better." She thought to herself. "I can't wait! I mean, I guess I can. She already said yes. Now, we just gotta make landfall."

Yukari closed and locked the diary, slipped it into her bag and slipped under the covers. It took awhile for her to fall asleep from the excitement.

 _Yukari walked down the sidewalk with Miho in tow, holding hands as they enjoyed themselves. Yukari felt like she was walking on air, spending quality time with her girlfriend. When they got to the end of the street and stopped by the clock tower, they looked each other in the eye. Yukari closed her eyes and could feel herself about to get her kiss._

She was jolted awake by the alarm, and awoke to see her team getting ready for the day. "Darn, I guess I'll have to wait." She thought to herself.

...

Everyone was getting ready for the day's tankery lesson with Captain Chono. Yukari took the opportunity to plan for her date. "Excuse me, Captain." Yukari said as she saluted.

"Yes, miss Akiyama." The Captain replied as she returned the salute. "What can I help you with?"

"I just wanted to know which port we're stopping at next."

"Kobe. We should actually pull into port by tomorrow afternoon. It's a really nice place this time of year. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know about?"

Yukari started smiling at the thought of the date. "Well... What might be good spots for a... Romantic evening?"

"You have plans, I take it?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm trying to plan a date."

"Ah, I see. Who's the lucky guy?" Captain Chono asked, unaware of Yukari's choice.

"It's... Not a boy. It's a girl."

"How cute. Who is she? Is she in your class?"

"Yes. She's on the same team. It's miss Nishizumi."

The Captain smiled at her answer. "Okay, well you might want to try the Korean barbeque restaurant called Handsome young man in Chuo ward. It's a great place for a first date."

Yukari took out a pen and paper to write down the address. "Any other ideas? I want it to be really special."

"I suppose you could take a stroll down to the Kobe port tower. That place has some incredible views of the city at night. It's not very far from the restaurant, either."

"I can't thank you enough, Captain." Yukari said as she bowed.

"Think nothing of it. Tell them I sent you, and you can get the best seat in the house."

Yukari again thanked Captain Chono and started heading for the Panzer. She joined up with the rest of anglerfish team as they were about to start their exercises. The girls were practicing poses and posture, which included balancing books on their heads. Yukari stood on one leg and Hana started stacking books. She stopped at five, but Yukari didn't budge. She stood perfectly stil with her eyes closed, maintaining razor sharp posture. "Wow, Yukari. That's impressive." Saori commented. "What's your secret?"

"I've got something important to focus on." Yukari said calmly. "Give me more books."

Hana stacked more books, going all the way up to ten. Yukari kept her motionless stance and the books didn't move either. Yukari kept thinking of being in the best condition for their date, all the way down to simple posture. She kept thinking of the date and never lost a book.

...

After class, Yukari again took Miho by the hand and walked her out. Yukari pulled her in for a hug when they got outside. "Nishizumi San, I hope you don't mind, but I've got our date planned."

"You know you can just call me Miho, right? I mean, we're dating." Miho replied with a smile.

"Oh, okay. Miho. Anyway, we'll have the day off tomorrow and I would like to spend the evening with you on our date. My treat, of course."

"I'd be delighted."

"By the way, I wanted you to read this." Yukari said, handing Miho her diary.

"Why would I read that? It's full of your personal thoughts."

"I know. You said I could tell you anything, and I certainly don't want to hide anything from you. Even if it's in here. Please Miho, take this and read it."

"If it means that much to you, I'll read it."


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Girls und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

The next afternoon had finally rolled around and Yukari was busy looking through her wardrobe to pick out a nice dress. She settled ona Navy blue vee cut with the back open, and matching dress shoes. She showered, put on some light perfume and dressed for the day. She put her cards and cash in her small purse and went to go get Miho. She made it to her date's room and knocked. When Miho answered the door, Yukari was almost floored by the vision before her. Miho was wearing a cream colored one shoulder dress which had a tan belt and matching sandals. "Miho... You're... Gorgeous." Yukari said, stunned.

"Well, I figure that our first date should be a good one, even down to our dress." Miho responded. "Besides, look at yourself. You came over dressed to kill."

Yukari blushed lightly. "I guess I did the same. I wanted to look good for you. But anyway, you ready?"

"Yes ma'am. Let's go." Miho answered as she took Yukari's hand.

All the girls from the other teams were wearing casual clothes for their landfall visit, but most of them weren't going all out like Yukari and Miho. When the other members of Anglerfish team saw the couple, they couldn't take their eyes off of them. "Oh my gosh, you two look amazing!" Saori squealed. "You think if I dressed up nice like that, I could get a guy?"

"I don't see any reason why not." Miho replied. "I think you could bag a good one."

"I wish I had the time to go on a date with someone." Mako said. "And someone to go on a date with."

"Shouldn't be too hard. You're a nice person, you're smart and you're talented." Yukari told her. "Just put yourself out there."

"No corsage? You know I could've helped you with that." Hana chuckled.

"I wish I had thought of that." Yukari said.

"It's not like this is going to be our only date, you know." Miho said, making Yukari's heart skip a beat. "We'll be sure to get up with you."

...

Yukari looked up the restaurant that Captain Chono had suggested, and they started making their way there. Along the way, they stopped at different places and took pictures together. Miho poked Yukari in the ribs, which brought out a laugh. Miho poked her a few more times and she almost doubled over with laughter. "I've found your weakness! Didn't even have to use the high explosive rounds, either." Miho chuckled.

"Ah, cut it out! I thought you already knew I was ticklish there."

"Well now, I do. Expect me to use that a bit more often."

The girls made it to the restaurant and went in. Yukari told the waiter that Captain Chono sent them and he took them to the VIP lounge. The girls were seated at the "captain's table", which was a small table for only two or three people. The waiter took their drink order and left them with their menus as he left to get their drinks. " This place is incredible. " Miho said to her date. "Everything on the menu looks great."

"The Captain set us up good. Good place, best table, everything is perfect."

"You really went all out for me." Miho continued, giving Yukari's hands a light squeeze.

"I wanted our first to be a good one. After we eat, I have another good place to go, also suggested by Captain Chono. She says it has an amazing view of the city."

The waiter soon returned with their drinks and took their orders, then left again. The ladies sat patiently, chatting about various matters. "So, I've started reading through the diary." Miho started. "I really like what you've written about me. You seem to really like me, but you're not creepy about it. You're respectful and you're sweet."

"Aw, thanks." Yukari responded with a smile.

"I guess that tells me that what you have is genuine and organic, I think are good terms to use. What makes me think that is that diaries are usually meant for only one person to read them, so you wrote what you did without thinking I'd read it."

"I was going to tell you everything anyway, but I suppose you're right. I thought I'd be the only one reading it."

"That spoke volumes to me, that you wanted me to read your most private thoughts. That shows me that you really want this to work out, and you trust me. And trust is very important in a relationship."

"I see I was right in giving that to you, then. I do trust you."

Their conversation trailed off as the waiter returned with their meals. Miho had ordered the Doenjang pork skewers with Bok Choy, seasoned with soybean paste. Yukari ordered the Spicy pork barbecue with cold cucumber soup on the side. They dug in and were blown away by their meals. The flavors, the textures, everything was incredible. "I've gotta thank the Captain again for suggesting this place. This is amazing." Yukari said between bites.

"She has really good taste. This is delicious." Miho added.

When their meals were finished, Yukari pulled out her card and asked the waiter for the check. "Apologies, madame." He started. "We cannot take your payment."

"Do you not take this kind of card?" Yukari asked, pulling out her cash. "I can pay with cash."

"That's not the problem, miss Akiyama. The good Captain called and asked for us to put your dinner on her account. Everything is paid for."

"Captain Chono paid for us?" Miho inquired.

"Yes, miss Nishizumi. Everything is taken care of."

"Well... I can tip you, at least." Yukari continued, counting out cash for a tip.

"Again, we cannot take that. The Captain already asked us to charge an additional 20% tip."

"Wow. I don't know what to say." Yukari said, putting her cash away.

...

Yukari walked Miho up to the tower, and they went up to the observation deck. They walked over to the railing and looked out over the city. "The view is beautiful." Yukari noted.

"I know it." Miho added, looking at Yukari.

"How is everything so far?" Yukari asked.

"Everything is perfect. Dinner was amazing, the view up here is great, I don't know how it could get much better."

Yukari looked at a small map and put the map away. "I saw s good place we could go to end our evening."

"Where's that?"

"There's a beach right over there." Yukari said, pointing toward the beach. "What better way to end a good first date than a sunset walk down the beach?"

"Sounds perfect. Let's go."

...

The walk to the beach didn't take long. The ladies went barefoot and walked down through the sand. They walked a good ways and finally came to stop by the water's edge. The ladies held each other close as they looked out over the water, the sun's reflection etched perfectly on the surface of the calm water. "Miho, I don't think there are words in any language that can properly tell you how happy and thankful I am that you decided to go out with me today." Yukari said quietly.

"I see today as the start of something wonderful. I really like you, Yukari." Miho said, resting her head on Yukari's shoulder. "I've been on dates with boys before, and none of them have treated me this well. Heck, one of them even tried to get a feel in."

"That's terrible. Believe me, I would never try anything you didn't approve of."

"I know. I can trust you. I wouldn't have been surprised or opposed to the idea of our first kiss being on the tower."

"I didn't want to seem pushy. And besides, you said after the first date."

Miho looked Yukari in the eyes. "I guess... I could consider this... After the first date."

The girls closed their eyes and slowly kissed. They stayed locked together for what felt like an eternity. When they finally separated, Yukari looked like she was about to cry. "Is something the matter?" Miho asked.

"I'm just so happy right now. I'm on a date with the girl of my dreams, and we just shared our first kiss."

"There'll be plenty more. You can count on that."

...

The girls returned to the hotel they were all staying at while the ship was docked and Yukari escorted Miho to her room. "Looks like this is it for tonight." Yukari said.

"Yukari, tonight was perfect. I want to thank you for everything." Miho replied. "I can't wait to see where our second date will take place."

"Want to go again soon?"

"We'll be in town for another week. Want to go again next Friday?"

"I'd love to. Nighty night."

Just as Yukari was turning to leave Miho for the night, Miho took her hands and kissed her again. Yukari didn't fight the display of affection. When they split again, Yukari looked Miho in the eye. "Thanks, Miho. See you tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Girls und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

Yukari sat awake again in her hotel room, unable to sleep from the excitement she was feeling from becoming official with her girlfriend and having their first kiss. She rolled around in her bed and messed up the covers. "Ohmigosh, this is unreal!" She said out loud to the room. "We kissed! Her lips tasted so sweet."

Hana, Mako and Saori came over and knocked on her door. She let them in and they all sat down. "Can't sleep, huh?" Mako asked.

"Not a wink! Everything went just right, I even got a kiss from her." Yukari squealed.

"Looks like patience paid off, didn't it?" Hana asked with a smile.

"Yep! We kissed at the water's edge. It was beautiful."

"Any pointers for others looking to pick up someone they like?" Saori asked.

Yukari thought about it for a moment. "I guess I'd say just what they all do. Be straight up and honest with them, for sure. Forging a friendship for awhile helps too, I suppose."

The girls were soon visited by Hippo team as well. Yukari invited all of them in and they all found seats where they could. "So, Yukari... You finally got your date." Erwin said.

"Yes. It couldn't have gone better."

"She sure made you happy, what with your being starry-eyed and all." Caesar said.

"Haven't you had your first kiss yet?" Yukari asked.

"N...no. I certainly hope it'll be as special as yours with Miho." Caesar answered with a light blush forming.

"What about you gals?" Yukari asked her teammates.

All of them looked around, as if trying to find a reason to change the subject. "I suppose you're the only member of Anglerfish who's had their first kiss. Well, you and Miss Nishizumi." Erwin chuckled.

"Have you been kissed?" Yukari asked.

"It wasn't so much that I was kissed, rather that I did the kissing. I was with this boy, who was pretty nice. We had been dating for weeks, and had even gone on a couple of dates." Erwin started recounting.

"Ooh, was he good looking?" Saori asked.

"Yep. He was good looking, smart and kinda funny, although some of his jokes came across as really corny. Anyway, after our third date, I got tired of waiting. I pushed him up against the wall outside the movie theater and Frenched him."

Everyone except Yukari started blushing. "You really took charge there, didn't you?" Yukari asked with a smile.

"Yeah, but after that, he said he wanted us to slow down. I was like 'slow down? How much slower do you want to go?' when he said that."

"What happened to him?" Hana asked.

"We broke up shortly after. It was kinda mutual, he said I was going too fast, I said he was going too slow."

"Aw, well at least you had a good time, right?" Yukari asked.

"I guess so. He didn't let me pay for anything, even if I wanted to. Didn't you do the same?"

"I tried to, but Captain Chono paid for us." Yukari answered. "She called the restaurant and put everything on her tab. I guess she's well known there, since they gave us the best seat in the house when we said she sent us."

"Gave her the royal treatment, eh?" Oryou asked.

"I wanted it to go perfect. We went to the restaurant, then up to the top of the Kobe port tower. Finally, we ended our evening at the beach."

"You're good at this. Maybe you could help Captain Chono with the tankery lessons." Saori commented.

Yukari waved her hands around at the thought of teaching alongside her teacher. "No, I learned what I did from her. She helped me out, and I could never hope to compete with her level of knowledge."

...

When morning rolled around, Yukari headed over to Miho's room to try and hang out with her again. She knocked and Miho soon answered. "Hey, you." Miho said, leaning out of the door and kissing Yukari again. "What's up?"

Yukari was flustered by Miho's kiss. "Want to go get some breakfast together?"

"Sounds good to me." Miho said, slipping shoes on for the day.

They held hands as they walked away from their hotel and toward a restaurant for breakfast. "So, I guess you know who our opponents are for the finals?" Miho asked.

"Your big sis, with Kuromorimine. It'll be a tough battle, but I think we can pull it off."

"You're right, they won't be easy opponents. I'm actually supposed to meet up with sis today. You want to come with me?"

"I'll get to hang out with the two Nishizumi sisters? Of course!" Yukari chirped.

...

They made it to the restaurant and took their seats at the counter. They ordered simple dishes like eggs and bacon, biscuits and a side of fruit. Yukari cut her biscuit open and put some of the bacon and eggs in the middle with a small piece of orange. Miho copied her girlfriend and really liked the taste. There was salty from the bacon and sweet from the orange. They soon finished and Miho went to pull out her money to pay, but Yukari wouldn't let her. She pulled out her own card and handed it to the cashier. "The Captain took care of us last time, this one is on me." Yukari told her.

They joined hands again as they left the restaurant and started walking down the sidewalk. "You know, I can pay for stuff when we go places, right?" Miho said.

"I know, but I wanted to be the first to pay for us, since I was the one who asked you out." Yukari answered.

"Next time, I'm paying for us. Got it?" Miho said, bringing Yukari's hand up to kiss it.

"Okay, if you want."

Miho's phone buzzed with a text message from her sister Maho. 'I'll be in town today at 2 this afternoon. We'll meet at the Kobe convention center.' "Looks like we'll be meeting her at the Kobe conference center."

"What do you think the meeting will be about?" Yukari inquired.

"Probably something to do with school funding or something like that, just like what was going on during the match against Pravda."

"That was kinda scary." Yukari said, gripping Miho's hand tighter. "I hope it won't be anything bad this time."

"I guess we'll find out when we see her. Now, let's enjoy our day."


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Girls und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

The day slowly whittled away until it was finally time for Miho and Yukari to head for the conference center. Always thinking ahead, Miho called a cab to ensure they arrived on time. The cab ride was fairly short, thanks to the limited traffic at that particular time of day. They arrived to find Maho and their mother Shiho also waiting for them. Miho and Yukari both bowed to the Nishizumi matriarch, who seemed surprisingly reluctant to return the gesture, but did anyway. "Miho, who is your guest?" Shiho asked.

"Mom, Maho, this is Yukari." Miho began, taking Yukari's hand. "She's my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend, huh? This is new." Shiho responded.

"We haven't been together long, but we're happy together."

"Very well. Come, let us take our business somewhere more private."

Shiho led them to a small booth in the conference center restaurant, where everyone took a seat. "So, there are a couple of things I wanted to bring up. The first being the match between Kuromorimine and Oarai. You've made it this far, and you did show promise during the match with Pravda."

"Thank you, mother." Miho replied.

"Don't think the fight against your older sister's school will be an easy one. Remember, they only lost because of your actions. If it weren't for you, they would've retained the title another year."

Sensing how uneasy Miho was starting to feel, Yukari spoke up in her defense. "Nishizumi-dono, may I say something here?"

"Yes, you may." Shiho replied, turning her attention to Yukari.

"If Miho hadn't done what she did, the crew of the disabled vehicle would've drowned. I understand that pride is important, but wouldn't it have looked worse on both her part and the school's if she had done nothing?"

Shiho pondered what Yukari said for a moment. "I suppose it would've looked bad, but those girls knew how to swim. They could've abandoned their tank and swam to shore. We have more tanks."

"But what if one of them was knocked out and couldn't swim?"

"I'll hear no more from you, miss Yukari." Shiho spat, now irate from feeling as though Yukari was calling her out.

"Yes, Nishizumi-dono." Yukari responded, hanging her head, not wanting to push her any further.

"As for the rest of this meeting, I'll ask that yourself and Maho give us some privacy."

Maho and Yukari left the booth, bowed to Shiho and left them alone.

...

Around the corner, Maho and Yukari stood by one another and waited. "I apologize if mother is less than endearing today." Maho said.

"Oh, it's no biggie. I knew she could be ruthless, but that's part of the reason Nishizumi style is known as well as it is." Yukari replied.

"I don't exactly share mother's feelings. Yes, we may have lost the title, but we could have been permanently banned by the national tankery committee if Miho had let the other crew go without helping them."

"That's one of the reasons I like her so much. She's selfless and compassionate. She worries about others long before herself."

"That's kind of one reason mother isn't so approving. She doesn't care that Miho saved someone, she is only concerned with the family win streak."

Yukari was slightly shocked at just how ruthless Shiho was. "She must have some sense of understanding."

"That's why she was only transferred, and not disowned completely." Maho continued, somewhat comforting Yukari. "It was kind of lose-lose for Miho. If she had abandoned the crew and won the match, most likely resulting in our ban and possible legal action against us. With the path she chose, she saved the other crew and lost the match, but was transferred from Kuromorimine."

"I didn't know all of that." Yukari said.

"Katyusha, the leader of Pravda, even felt bad over that. And I think you've seen just how cold she can be."

...

Shiho waited until she was sure Maho and Yukari were out of earshot before continuing. "So, today I come to find out that my youngest daughter is gay. You know how I feel about homosexuality."

"Yes, mother." Miho replied, unfettered by her mother's stance on gays.

"What got into you? Why would you decide to do this to me?"

Upset over her mom's choice of words, Miho gained an unhappy expression. "What did I do to you, exactly? How does my dating Yukari hurt you in any way?"

"Because gays are horrible people. You're a pretty young lady, and you're being greedy by being with another girl. How will you have children? Yukari can't get you pregnant!"

"Artificially maybe? You know, gay women have children born to them."

"It's just my opinion. I think gays are bad people."

"Heterosexual people are so much better, huh?"

Shiho became irate again at her daughter calling her out now. "Enough. If you want to throw your life away with that girl, you go ahead. Do not involve me. But then again, this may work out. You're facing your sister. She's changed significantly since you last were involved."

"I figured. What of it?"

"If you win, not only will I forgive you and apologize to you publicly, I will give you my blessing to be with Yukari. I'll even let you marry her, and I'll have the wedding at my home."

"If I lose?" Miho asked, knowing she wouldn't likely get a positive answer.

"You'll be disowned. Unless you want to break up with Yukari. Then, everything will be forgiven."

Miho looked on as if she had seen a ghost. "You're kidding, right? I love Yukari! That's not too say I don't love you, though."

"Your call. If you break up with her right now, I'll forgive everything. If not, you had better win."

"I won't break up with her, and I won't lose! You had better be ready to have our wedding!"

...

Miho came up and met with Yukari and Maho. "Maho, til I see you on the battlefield." She said, herself, Maho and Yukari all bowing to each other.

Once they were apart from Maho and Shiho, Yukari kissed Miho's hand. "What's the matter?"

"Ugh. Yukari... I love you. I want to be with you. My mom doesn't want me to be with you."

Yukari blushed at her girlfriend telling her she loved her. "Why doesn't she want you to be with me?"

"She really doesn't like gay people. She even wanted me to break up with you, but that's not happening."

"Well, I'm thankful you didn't want to go that way." Yukari smiled.

"She also said... That if we lose, I'll be disowned."

Yukari started looking worried. "I guess that means we can't lose."

"If we win, she said everything will be forgiven, she'll let us be together, she'll even host our wedding at her house."

"Well, that gives us even more..." She trailed off. "Wait, wedding?"

"Yes. When we come to it."

Yukari squeezed Miho's hand. "I look forward to it."


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Girls und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

The next day rolled around, and Miho went to find someone to help ease her mind. The first person she thought of (aside from Yukari) was Captain Chono. She asked to meet in the lobby of the hotel they were all staying at. The Captain showed up on time. "So, Miss Nishizumi. What can I help you with?"

"Umm... Okay. I think you know by now about my relationship with Yukari." Miho responded.

"I'm aware of it, yes."

"Well, my mom isn't so approving of it. To the point that if we lose the tournament, I'll be disowned." She continued, a tear starting to form.

"That's terrible. Just because you like another girl?"

"Partially, yes. If we lose, I'll be cast out. She also said that if I break things off with Yukari, everything will be forgiven."

Captain Chono started to look uneasy. "I knew she could be tough, but that's a bit much."

"I know it. I love my family, but I also love Yukari. I don't want to be cast out, but I also don't want to lose Yukari." Miho continued, the tears starting to roll. "Is there anything you could do to help us?"

The Captain wrote something down on her notepad. "I hate to say it, but I cannot publicly oppose your mother. Thanks to our agreement, it would be considered a conflict of interests. I can go talk to her, but I can't guarantee anything."

"Conflict of interests?"

"I can't offer any sort of help to any member of either or both sides of any schools if they're in the tournament. If you were just in practice or exhibition matches, I could say whatever I wanted to. I'll still talk to her, though."

Miho wiped away her tears. "Thanks so much. She'll probably listen to you before me."

...

Captain Chono went to speak with Shiho as promised. She stepped into Shiho's home office and sat in the chair before her desk. "Captain, to what do I owe this surprise?"

"Nishizumi-dono, I heard from a couple of students about the relationship between miss Akiyama and your daughter." The Captain started.

Shiho started looking upset. "I suppose she spoke to you about it?"

"In the interest of full disclosure and honesty, yes. But I heard about it from other students before I heard it from her. News travels rather fast on such things."

"I'm not saying I dislike my daughter, I just dislike her decision. Something about the thought of one of my children potentially laying down with the same sex... just doesn't sit right with me."

"What if she had been like this the whole time? What if she always liked girls and just said she liked boys to throw you off?"

Shiho thought about it for a moment. "Come to think of it, she did have a boy she was talking to when she was with Black Forest. She said they only really hung out together. Never said anything about dating him."

"She shows a great deal of promise. She took on all of the schools in the tournament up to this point, never once backing down. With Pravda, she stayed with her teams in the Church in sub freezing temperatures for several hours. When she was told she would be given the chance to surrender, she told them no, and spurred everyone on to victory. And you have to admit it, hiding the StuG in the snowbank was nothing short of genius."

"I know. I saw the match. That doesn't erase what she did to her old school, not to mention the family name when she cost us the victory and the title that we had held for so long."

"Beg pardon Nishizumi-dono, but I reviewed everything about that match, including medical reports. Only one of the girls in the tank that fell in the river wasn't knocked out cold, and the one who wasn't knocked out was concussed, and would not have been able to help anyone. They would have all drowned if Miho hadn't done something."

"Tch, you're starting to sound like that girl Miho says she loves."

"No offense, it's common reasoning. If she had let them drown, it would have been much worse."

Shiho started leveling off a little, trying to hide what she was thinking. "Those girls knew what they got into when they signed up for this. Their parents knew as well. That's what the waivers are for."

Captain Chono leaned forward on her desk to continue. "Those waivers are against injuries sustained as a direct result of tank weapons fire. The ground gave way under the fallen tank, which is outside of what the waiver protects. If Miho hadn't saved those girls, I'll tell you what would have happened. She was a member of the leadership in the field. Not only would she have been arrested and tried for negligent homicide, so would Maho and Erika. In addition, all of the girls in the field would've been tried as accessories. They would all have either faced the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Your insurance wouldn't cover anything, so you'd have to pay for it out of pocket. You would likely have gone bankrupt. As for your family's reputation, you would go down in history as a monster who let people die just for a shiny piece of metal and bragging rights. And of lesser importance, Kuromorimine would have been permanently banned from participating in any future tournaments, would have had all of their tanks taken away and all of the titles, trophies and accolades stripped from them."

Shiho closed her eyes after hearing the hard wisdom of the Captain. "I can still have an opinion about who my daughters date. I don't like homosexuals all that much."

"Yes, you have your opinion on that. But don't you think her bravery speaks for itself? I'd say that would be a better mark of pride, willing to sacrifice a victory instead of the lives of her team."

"In war, everyone is expendable." Shiho scoffed.

"This isn't war. I've been to war, so I know what I'm talking about."

Shiho was now thoroughly annoyed with the Captain's reasoning. "What happened to discussion of the teams? We're not supposed to talk about that."

"I'm talking about your daughter, I'm not trying to influence a decision either way about the tournament. I hope both teams pour everything they have into it. This also isn't a public setting."

"Fine. I've already talked to Miho about it. If she wins, everything will be forgiven and I'll even let her stay with her little girlfriend, even letting them get married, where I'll pay for everything. If she loses, I still reserve the right to disown her."

The Captain felt like she had made some kind of progress. "Very well. I'll be taking my leave now, since I believe you have other matters that need attention."

...

Miho went to sit with Yukari at the nearby park to try and cheer up. She held Yukari very close, who similarly held her. "The Captain said she would talk to my mom, but I doubt she'll have much luck. She's really stubborn." Miho said quietly.

"No matter what happens, you know I'll always have your back." Yukari whispered.

Soon, Miho's phone buzzed with a message. She was kind of shocked to see it was from her mom. 'I've had time to really think about it, and I feel now like you did the right thing.'

Miho responded quickly. 'About the tournament?'

'Yes. If you hadn't saved the other crew, the lot of us would have been in a very bad situation.'

'Thank you. That's what I wanted all along.' Miho replied, a smile creeping up her face.

'We lost, but things could have been worse.'

'I'll see you at the finals. Love you.'

'Love you too.'

Miho put her phone away and kissed Yukari deeply on the lips. "It might not look like much, but we're about to take on a huge battle against a championship caliber team. There's quite a bit riding on this. Program funding, school funding, everyone being uprooted. As long as I have you, I'm okay with whatever comes up."

"What about what your mom said? About you being... You know..." Yukari trailed off.

"I know. That's a bridge I hope I don't have to cross."

...


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

This is a special/setup chapter, so it may not be as long as others.

There will be a slightly dark section in this chapter. It will be marked by asterisks, for those who wish to skip it.

...

Miho and Yukari spent the rest of the day together, staying close the whole time. They made a trip to a sidewalk food stand and got some snacks for the short walk back to the hotel. Miho invited Yukari into her room and they sat together on the loveseat by the window. Miho turned the TV on to the evening news, which was lighting up with news about the tournament finals. "I don't know why, but for some reason, I'm feeling pretty good about us in the finals. Not overconfident, but good." Yukari said in a chipper tone.

"I'm feeling a little better myself, after the messages my mom sent me." Miho replied as she grabbed drinks from the room fridge.

One part of the news struck both of them as odd. 'Nishizumi family matriarch Shiho Nishizumi could not be reached for most of the day, and when she could be contacted, her office advised that she was not taking any calls. She was seen, as some would say, visibly shaken...'

"What do you think that's about?" Yukari asked, sipping lightly on her drink.

"Captain Chono said she was gonna talk to her. Maybe her talk worked though. She does have a way with words."

...

*earlier in the day, but after Captain Chono and Shiho spoke*

*this is the dark part*

...

Shiho had finished her office work for the day and was leaving when Maho stopped her outside the office. She looked as though she had seen a ghost. "Mother, there's something I think you need to see."

"Maho, what's wrong? You don't look like yourself." Shiho responded.

"There's something you really need to see."

They walked over to the waiting car and climbed in the rear seats. Maho handed the driver a piece of paper and he started driving them somewhere. Maho kept her eyes locked forward, seemingly never blinking. Her stare made Shiho feel slightly nervous. The car eventually pulled up to police building, and it pulled into the medical area toward the rear of the building. Maho escorted Shiho into the building, the police opening the doors along the way.

Shiho started getting a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach when they turned toward the coroner's office. They went in and saw the coroner standing by two tables that each had a body on them, covered. "Miss Nishizumi, the good Captain asked me to let you see this." He started. "I cannot give you their real names, but let's call her..." He said, pulling the cover back to reveal a girl's face and neck, which looked like her throat was slit. "... Jane Doe. Cause of death: suicide. Means: knife severed both jugular veins, subject bled out."

Shiho lost all of her complexion upon seeing the dead girl before her. "Um... Okay... May I ask... Why she wanted me to see this?" She asked, starting to tremble.

"Yes. Over here, let's call her..." He trailed off again, revealing the face and neck of the other body, another girl. She had marks and bruising on her neck. "... Jane Smith. Cause of death: suicide. Means: hanging."

Shiho looked on in silence, unable to think of what to say. Maho soon broke the silence. "According to Captain Chono and the chief of police here, these two girls were gay and were in a relationship. Both of their parents despised the idea of their daughters being with each other, and they kept pressing them to break up."

"I...I don't know what to say..." Shiho managed to get out.

"Miho is strong, but... Maybe you should ease up on her a bit. This could potentially be her and Yukari."

"I think I've seen enough."

...

*end of the dark part*

...

Finals had arrived, and both teams were gathered for the pre match greeting. Maho still looked disturbed from the day before, but was keeping her composure. The finals match was about to begin.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

There will be portions of the finals match I'll be using as filler, but there will be original content as well.

...

Oarai and Kuromorimine boarded their tanks after the pre match greeting, then started rolling after the opening flare. Oarai was to head across the field, attempting to bypass Kuromorimine altogether while heading for a hill. While crossing the field, they came under fire from Kuromorimine tanks that had cut through the forest. Miho told everyone to zig zag in order to avoid fire. They cabled the Panzer, M3 Lee, StuG and Tiger together to pull up the hill, then started laying a smokescreen. "Smoke? They're not ninjas, you know. What annoying brats. Prepare to-" Erika started, but was interrupted.

"All tanks, cease fire." Maho called out.

"You sure we shouldn't just go ahead and take them out now?"

"Don't fall into a trap without thinking. They probably want us to waste our ammo. There's a limit to how many rounds we have. We can wait to see how they move next."

"Dammit, I'm not going to let them get away!" Erika said, annoyed, opening fire with the machine gun.

Kuromorimine was unaware that Turtle team hung back in ambush, in the trees to the left flank of the Kuromorimine advance. They quickly scored hits on the Jagdpanther and Tiger II, both on the tracks, at least stopping them for a moment. Once they realized they had scored hits and were then being targeted, they pulled back and moved away.

...

After slugging it out on the hill and the confusion tactic succeeding, Oarai went down a path toward the river. Leopon team stopped to address a cooling issue and decided to lay a bit of a trap. They dug a hole and armed one of their main gun shells, then placed it in the hole and covered it. They placed it right in the rut that tanks were running through to pass. They boarded their Tiger again and started to try and catch up.

When Kuromorimine drove up on that part of the path, they didn't seem to notice the oddly disturbed patch of dirt on one side. The Jagdpanther ran over the buried shell, making it detonate, blowing the port side tracks off and stopping their tank. "NOT AGAIN!" Could be heard shouted over the radio.

...

After the hang up in the river where Rabbit's M3 Lee stalled, Erwin decided to do something that was common in video games, a tactic learned from Anteater team. She ordered the StuG into a firing position and aiming in the general direction of the Kuromorimine advance. Saemonza fired toward them at random, not expecting to score a hit, especially since they didn't have line of sight. As a complete surprise, everyone heard an announcement. "Kuromorimine Jagdpanzer is immobilized."

"I can't believe that worked." Caesar said.

"Oh well, one less we have to worry about." Erwin chuckled.

The StuG turned around and started following everyone else into the city. Along the way, the Oarai teams spotted the Kuromorimine Panzer III and gave chase. They were able to match it at every turn, until the crew really put the gas pedal down after one particular turn and got ahead of them. They chased it down a street and noticed that it had stopped.

Then, they felt the ground shaking. A very large object started backing up and blocking everyone's view. "Is that a wall? Or a gate?" Rabbit team asked.

When more of it was visible, everyone felt their hearts skip a beat. The Maus had made its appearance. Yukari went wide eyed and smiling. "Awesome! I've never seen a Maus in person!"

"Hey hon, are you on our side or theirs?" Miho chuckled.

"Of course, I'm on ours. I'm just... Kind of excited." Yukari answered. "I really like tanks, you know."

"I know."

The Maus attempted to spin its turret to fire, but its 128mm main gun was so long, it struck a building and stopped. It had to back up even more in order to fire. Everyone except Mallard team started slowly reversing. When it was able to get a shot lined up, Miho hurriedly told everyone to reverse in order to get away from it. Once aimed, the Maus fired and the round struck by the Hetzer. The force of the round detonating blew them back and they thought they were hit, but they really weren't.

Faced with a massive enemy, Sodoko had a moment of blind courage. "DON'T GET COCKY JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE HUGE!" She shouted.

Both the 47mm and 75mm guns fired armor piercing rounds at the Maus, but neither shot had any effect. In return, the Maus crew fired the 128mm gun at Mallard, blowing the tracks completely out of the port side and flipping the Char upside down and popping the flag.

With the Char disabled, the Maus started rolling down the street. Its main gun aimed and fired again, just barely missing a direct hit, but shaking everyone up anyway. Everyone opened fire at the Maus, but none of their rounds were having any effect. The Maus fired once more, the round striking right on the side armor, but it didn't meet at a solid angle, so it didn't make the flag pop.

Hippo stopped and Saemonza took aim. "I'll get revenge for the Mallard!" She shouted as she pulled the trigger.

As was little surprise, the armor piercing round had no effect. In fact, the round ricocheted. When the Maus fired back, the round blew the port side tracks off and flipped the StuG up on its side.

...

The battle was progressing at a rapid pace. The combination of Turtle, Rabbit, Duck, Leopon and Anglerfish managed to bring down the Maus, and the Hetzer broke down shortly after from the strain. Rabbit was eliminated shortly after, but one of Kuromorimine's tanks fell in a drainage ditch in the process. It flipped over and broke its gun, then popped its flag.

The last battle had come up, between Miho and Maho. Leopon holed up in the entrance to the apartment block in a courageous last stand. They fired at several Kuromorimine tanks, who all fired back. Eventually, Leopon was knocked out, but thanks to their position, passing them was almost impossible. Kuromorimine complained about the positioning, but it helped Anglerfish, since no other tanks could join in.

Miho started looking a bit nervous, which Yukari noticed. She put her hand on Miho's leg and gave her a squeeze. "No matter what, I'll be here for you."

Miho looked at Yukari and smiled. "Okay, let's do this."

The two flag tanks started circling each other, firing when the opportunity came up. They started driving through the block, aiming and firing when they could. Eventually, both tanks ended up back in the courtyard. They circled each other again, Anglerfish popping their tracks loose as they swung into final position. Both teams fired at the same time, Maho's tank only managing to blow the external armor off of the turret, but Hana's shot blew out the engine of the other tank and popped its flag. Apparently, the strike to the Panzer turret was hard enough to pop their flag. The cameras couldn't see which one popped first, but the detection equipment could tell which one did.

Captain Chono saw what the detection equipment was displaying, and she knew that Kuromorimine had won, if only by a fraction of a second. In a moment of compassion for Oarai and Miho, the Captain pulled a neodymium magnet from her pocket and placed it on the equipment, which both fried the equipment and erased the record of both of the flag tank flags.

Everyone in the crowd waited for a decision. The Captain went in front of the cameras and addressed the crowd. "As there has been a malfunction in the equipment, it has fallen to me to decide the winner. After careful review of the camera footage in both flag tanks, I have found that Kuromorimine popped their flag first. The winner of the tournament is Oarai academy."

...

The crowd went wild with the news. When the recovery truck had pulled the Panzer back to the main arena, everyone gathered around them. After disembarking, Yukari wrapped Miho up in a hug, and Miho returned the hug with a kiss.

Sodoko held up her school PDA and showed Mako that she deleted all of her demerits, essentially placing her on honor roll. Overwhelmed with emotion, Mako ran over and hugged her. "Thank you so mich, Sodoko!"

"Hey, I told you not to call me that!"

Mako interrupted her with a kiss, then let her go and went to rejoin her crew. "What the hell was that?" Sodoko asked, stunned.

"Love is in the air."

"What? You love... Me?"

"You're growing on me."

Miho and Maho met up after the match and shook hands. "I'm glad you won. I can't imagine the feeling of mom wanting to... You know. Plus, I can assume that having Yukari as my sister in law someday can be fun." Maho told her.

"Next time, we won't lose." Erika said.

Miho turned around and saw Shiho standing there, completely still. She walked up to her mother and looked her in the eye. She was almost expecting to be scolded. "... Mom?" Miho began.

Shiho couldn't hold it on anymore. She dropped to one knee and hugged Miho tightly as she started crying. "Miho... My daughter. I've seen some... Things. Things that helped open my eyes. I can never apologize enough for the way I treated you and your girlfriend."

"Mom, what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say it scared me. Shook me to my core. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Miho returned the hug. "Yes. I suppose I'm still in the family then?"

"Yes. I'll hold up my end of things and you two can stay together. Just please, don't ever leave us."

Yukari walked over and saw the display, and she felt happy that Miho was going to be fine. Shiho looked over and saw her, then walked over to her. She bowed before Yukari. "Miss Akiyama, I would like to formally apologize to you. My behavior has been less than appropriate. I've held you to a standard that I did not hold myself to."

Yukari bowed in return. "Think nothing of it."

"I mean it. I've looked down on both of you and that could not be more unprofessional of me." Shiho stood to look Yukari in the eye and extended her hand. "Can you forgive me, miss Akiyama?"

Yukari took her hand and shook. "Yes."

When they let go, Yukari walked over and took Miho's hand. "Looks like we won't need to transfer schools after all." Yukari chirped.

"That wouldn't have been an issue."

"What do you mean?" Miho asked.

"Because of... The discussion I had with the Captain, and a certain...*ahem* thing, o decided that if Oarai had been disbanded, I would've talked to the board of education. I would've had all of you transferred to Kuromorimine. You wouldn't have had to split up."

"Really mom, what did you see?"

Maho walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll tell you later. I saw the same thing. For now, I think it'd be too much for her to go back over."

"Okay. Well, thanks mom. Thanks sis. I guess we'll be seeing you soon."

...

To be continued


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

Not too long after their victory, Anglerfish went to meet up with Captain Chono, who wanted to congratulate them on their victory. Everyone took a seat and started chatting. "So glad you ladies won your first tournament together." Captain Chono said with a smile.

Everyone agreed with her, happy that they got to stay together. "Do you mind my asking what scared my mom so much?" Miho inquired.

"I think part of it had to do with the kiss."

"What kiss, ours?" Yukari asked, confused.

"Nope, the one between Shiho and myself."

Nobody understood what she just said, knowing Shiho and her at least previous position on lesbians. "You and my mom kissed?"

"Yep."

...

(Shortly before the finals)

The Captain met with Shiho in the observation center. They were to have a final discussion before the last match began. "So, it looks like this is it." The Captain started.

"It appears that way, yes. Do you have anything planned?" Shiho asked.

"Planned? Um, watch the match and keep track of everything. What about you?"

"Same. I know you're supposed to remain unbiased here, but who do you favor?"

"I can't say either way. If I'm supposed to remain unbiased, I can't say I want either side to win, really. I certainly can't help either team."

"So, you don't have a side you would like to see win this? I can imagine you would like to see Miho's team win"

"I cannot endorse either side. That would compromise my position as an official judge, and potentially as a soldier."

Shiho crossed her arms and pouted slightly. "Both of them are my children. I want both of them to win, really. But my stance on homosexuality has been very strong. Even after seeing... That... It wouldn't be very easy for me to just suddenly accept gays."

The Captain looked at Shiho in disbelief. Even after seeing death, she still hung onto her beliefs. "Really? Are you that dense?"

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me. One of your daughters is in a bad place right now. Thinks her own mother doesn't like her, just because of who she has romantic interest in."

"I can still have an opinion. Nothing you can do will change that."

Captain Chono started really thinking about it, then came up with an idea. She stepped up close to Shiho. "Nothing, you say?"

"Not a thing."

Captain Chono pulled Shiho in tight for a deep French kiss. This took Shiho by surprise, to the point that she couldn't really struggle that much. When she let go, The Captain took a step back and smiled. "Nothing?"

Shiho shuddered with disgust. "Ugh, oh my god, why did you do that?"

The Captain pointed at the cameras in the room. "You know who just saw that? Not many people, but I could certainly take that footage and put it up on the big screen for everyone to see."

"You're blackmailing me?"

Captain Chono laughed. "No, because I'm in the footage too. All I have to do is say it was my idea, and I'm in the clear. But not before everyone sees that you kissed another woman. So... About changing your stance..."

Shiho stormed out of the room, unable to respond.

...

"You kissed my mom? Wow, that's... Unbelievable." Miho said.

"It may have been a little much, but you know... I really wanted her to change her stance on gays. If only for you girls."

"They aren't the only ones." Mako added.

"What, wanting her to change her stance?" The Captain asked.

"No. Well, that too. I meant they aren't the only ones who... Like each other."

"Oh, that's right. I heard about you and miss Midoriko. Congratulations!"

...

After meeting with the girls, Captain Chono met with Shiho again, at her office. She laid the magnet she used on the equipment on her desk, and a pen rolled over to it and stuck. "What is this magnet for?" Shiho asked.

"Someone dropped it on the flag tank data recorder. I wonder who." The Captain smiled.

"You threw the match?"

"See, we're both in a situation here. If I dropped it, I'll be kicked out of the tankery committee. Anglerfish will be stripped of the title, and they will have to hold a rematch. If you dropped it, not only will Kuromorimine have all their wins stripped for this season, they'll be banned from the national tournaments for five years to indefinitely."

"Either way, it would be a bad season for both schools."

"Exactly. Now see, nobody else knows about this. As far as the committee is concerned, Oarai won after the detection equipment failed. If I tell them you did it, they would believe me, but then would question my decision about the match."

"Where did you get such a strong magnet, anyway?"

"I'm in the army, remember? These are used in some of the armored vehicles. It was really easy to get."

Shiho picked up the magnet and struggled to remove the pen from it. "So what do we do about this?"

"I'll just return that and it'll be like it never happened."

...

Miho invited the Anglerfish girls over to her hotel room for a small celebration. She was planning on having a larger celebration at Shiho's house, where all of the Oarai girls would be invited. Everyone sat around and chatted with one another. Yukari stayed stuck to Miho the whole time. "Glued on to your Lady, huh?" Hana chuckled lightly.

"I sure am." Yukari replied. "I love this lady. And besides, like everyone in here, she helped us win our first tournament."

"Let's go for another, next year!" Saori beamed, to which everyone raised their drinks.

"We're sure going to try again next year." Miho chirped.

...

Everyone except Yukari and Miho left the room after the celebration. She stayed up with Miho, watching TV with her. "I want to thank you. For everything." Yukari whispered to her.

"I can't take all of the credit. You were there too. And everyone else." Miho responded.

"There's something you did that nobody else did."

"What's that?"

Yukari started hugging and kissing Miho. "None of them said yes. Not that I ever asked them, but you said you'd be mine. That means more than anything to me."

"I'll say yes to you every time."


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

Holding up her end of everything, Shiho told everyone that she was holding a celebration for the Anglerfish girls and their schoolmates. The celebration was to be held at the school, as the grounds were large enough to accommodate all of the students and staff. She ordered five star catering for everyone to enjoy. All of the ladies would also get to show how well refined their manners and etiquette had become.

Anglerfish were the guests of honor, who were seated at the head table with Shiho, Maho and Captain Chono. Festivities began and everyone took their places at their assigned seats. As part of their tankery classes included place setting and proper dinner etiquette, everyone dined displaying manners and charm expected of high society.

Shiho felt the need to address the situation again. "Ladies, I've acted a fool. I almost did something terrible. I almost pushed my daughter away because of who she is."

"You've made amends, mom. We'll be okay now." Miho said.

"It's not that simple. Just because you and Miss Akiyama want to be together, I almost..." Shiho continued, closing her eyes as her voice started breaking slightly. "Well, you know. I can't apologize enough for this."

"Really, you've apologized to both of us personally. We both accepted. You're fine." Yukari said.

"I can't just say I'm sorry and think everything is okay. Not after how I treated the two of you, or gays as a whole. The only thing really different from you two and heterosexual couples is that you're both girls. Other than that, there's no difference."

"I've gotta say, I'm loving this side of you." Captain Chono said with a smile.

"I actually have something more to offer the two of you in apology. After you've finished school, I would like to invite the two of you to stay at the family estate together."

Everyone stopped on a dime as Shiho inviting anyone to the family estate, even for just a visit, was very rare. But to be invited to live there never happened. "But... Mom... You've never invited anyone to live there." Miho said in shock.

"One of the cornerstones of being a proper lady is humility. You must know when you've done wrong, and you must do everything you can to make things right. Simply apologizing isn't enough, at least not to me."

"Don't forget the other thing,v Miss Nishizumi." The Captain added.

"Of course. When you two decide to tie the knot, you can have the wedding at the estate. I'll cover everything."

Miho took Yukari's hand and they both smiled. "We look forward to that, mom." Miho said.

...

Captain Chono paid Shiho another visit at her office. She wanted to make sure Shiho wouldn't soon change her mind, as her previous position was fairly solid. She went to the office and sat across from Shiho. "It's really nice to see how far you've come. You used to be so against homosexuality, and now you seem okay with it."

"Seeing... What you asked me to see helped change my stance. I was heavily opposed to it, but I really don't want to see either of my daughters in that position." Shiho replied.

"I don't suppose the kiss had anything to do with it?"

"No, not really. I knew you only really wanted to try and help Miho. Besides, I think it would've served me right to have everyone see that footage."

The Captain placed a DVD on Shiho's desk. "This is the only remaining copy of the footage. You can do with it what you want."

Shiho looked at the disc for a moment, but didn't take it. "I don't know what to do. If I take it, it just seems like I haven't learned anything."

"Will you stop beating yourself up over this? You apologized, publicly. Not only to your daughter, but to her girlfriend. You offered for them to live at your family's estate. You've even said they can get married, and you'll pay for it. You've made great strides. Don't keep putting yourself down."

"I just keep thinking back to those two girls at the police station. It feels to me like the more I do to make it up to Miho and Yukari, the further away from that situation they'll be."

The Captain stood up and walked over to the window to look out over the city. "I guess I can look at it that way. But if you want to destroy that disc, it's all yours."

Shiho picked up the disc and walked over to join the Captain. "I don't need to. I would like you to hold onto this."

"I don't need to. But if you're making the request, I can keep it." The Captain said, taking the disc and putting it in her pocket. "If you'd really like everyone to know you've changed, I've got an idea."

"Whatever it is, I'll do it."

"Go out on a few dates with me."

Shiho stopped cold with the captain's suggestion. "Um, go out with you?"

"It'll be more of a show of compassion and solidarity. The public sees us together, and they'll know you've genuinely changed."

"Some people will probably think I'm faking it. But... If you think it'll help, I'll go out with you."

Captain Chono smiled at her response. "Good! But hey, if they think you're faking, there's always one thing you can do."

"What's th-"

The Captain interrupted Shiho by kissing her again. "If people see us do that, they'll get the idea that you're interested."

Shiho was still blushing from the surprise kiss. "Eh, I guess it'll help. Okay, we can go out then."

"Good to hear. I'll call you and we can set something up." Captain Chono said, giving Shiho a light smack on the butt before leaving.

"Went from hating gays to going on a date with another woman." Shiho thought to herself.

...


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

All of the Oarai girls were enjoying a day off after their celebration. Some teams were out on the town shopping, some were relaxing at local spas and some teams like Anglerfish and Hippo were playing at the arcades and pachinko parlors. Shiho was attempting to reach Miho, but couldn't since Miho had left her phone at the hotel. She didn't know Yukari's number, either.

Shiho asked Captain Chono where the ladies might all be, and soon enough found out. She made her way by taxi to the arcade where they were all hanging out and found all of them playing games. She approached the Anglerfish girls, who were all together with the exception of Mako, who was off with Sodoko. "Ahem, Miho. I see you're faring well." Shiho started.

Miho turned to say hello but was caught up in a hug by Shiho. "Hey, mom. Yes, we're good. How about you?" She said, returning the hug.

"I've been talking to the Captain, and...Umm... We'd like to know something."

"What's that?"

Shiho let her go from the hug and started looking almost sheepish. "Well... We wanted to know if you'd like to... Go on a... double date with us."

The entire arcade stopped in a dime when she asked the question. "I... did you just ask what it sounded like?" Miho asked, stunned.

"Yes. We wanted to go out, and would like to know if Yukari and yourself would like to go out with us."

Everybody was shocked to hear that Shiho, who used to be so disgusted by homosexuals, was planning a date with another woman. "Sounds good to me. What about you, hon?"

"I'd like that!" Yukari chirped.

"Very well, then. We'll message you details when we think of something."

...

When night came, the Anglerfish girls went looking for Mako so they could all go back to the hotel together. They found her with Sodoko, who was helping her walk along, since she was once again tired. Sodoko didn't appear to have her usual upset expression about herself, actually looking somewhat cheerful. Mako also had a somewhat uncharacteristic smile as she was leaning on Sodoko. "You two have fun?" Miho asked.

"She gets tired pretty easily, even if she's just walking or stopping to take a few pictures." Sodoko answered.

"Can we see the pictures?" Yukari asked.

Sodoko produced a set of strips from a photo booth they had visited. Most of them were just hugging or being close, some were making funny faces and the last one was them sharing a kiss. "Awh, you two look so sweet together." Miho said with a smile.

"She tastes minty fresh." Mako said, making Sodoko blush.

"Well, I didn't want to kiss you with bad breath."

"Your breath isn't my concern, your lips are."

"Ugh, okay. You're lucky I like you." Sodoko said, kissing Mako on the cheek. "Otherwise, I'd have to reprimand you."

"Are you bending the rules for her?" Saori asked.

"No, not really. We're not at school right now, so PDA's aren't all that bad. Even if we were at school, a light kiss isn't bad either."

...

Anglerfish, Hippo and Mallard were all gathered in the lobby of the hotel, chatting about their fun times and prizes won at the games some of them were playing. The conversations soon centered on what Shiho asked Miho in the arcade earlier. "I never imagined your mom would go out with another lady. I'm happy for her, though." Yukari told Miho.

"I'm shocked the most. I was almost kicked out of the family for loving you, and now, she's going out with Captain Chono? That really blindsided me."

About that time, Maho walked in and asked to see Miho and Yukari alone, and they stepped onto the patio by the hotel pool and sat down, Yukari with Miho on a loveseat, Maho on a recliner. "Mother has made quite the turn around, hasn't she?" Maho asked with a smile forming.

"I'm just glad I'm still in the family." Miho answered.

"I suppose I can tell you one of the things that started this. After the meeting between mother and the Captain, Miss Chono asked me to take mother to the prefecture police station to see something."

"What was at the police station?" Yukari asked.

"We went back to the morgue. Apparently, there were two girls who were in love just like yourselves. Both of their parents really hated the idea of their daughters being gay, and eventually that took a toll..."

Miho took Yukari's hand, feeling uneasy about where the conversation was headed. "I think I might know where you're going with this."

"Both of the girls... they... succumbed to the pressure of their parents. I've never seen mother with such a drained expression about her. It's almost like her soul left her body for a moment."

"Wasn't that a bit extreme? We would never do that." Yukari said.

"That was what the Captain wanted us to see. I already didn't mind the two of you being together, but mother was pretty well set in her ways. It might have been over the top, but when it hit that close to home for her, things really changed."

"The Captain hasn't steered us wrong yet, so I guess she did the right thing." Miho added.

Maho stood up and sat back down with Miho and Yukari, hugging both of them. "I'm glad you're still with the family."


	12. Chapter 12

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

Their stay in the region, the tournament and school year now finished, the students of Oarai headed home to spend time with their families while on break. As Yukari and Miho were preparing to leave, they were greeted by Shiho. She had two envelopes in her hand. "Miho, Miss Akiyama. How are you today?"

They bowed as Miho answered. "We're great, how about you?"

"Ami and I were hoping to go out on a double date again sometime."

Shiho using Captain Chono's first name was a bit of a surprise to both of them, as they were used to her using last names. "That sounds wonderful."

Shiho handed Miho and Yukari each an envelope, each one with their names on it. "If you two can find the time, please come by the estate. These are your invitations."

"I'm pretty sure we can. What do you think, hon?" Miho asked Yukari.

"I wanted to spend tomorrow with my parents first, if that's okay." She answered.

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Not at all. I'd like for my folks to meet my girlfriend. I mean, they've already met you, but I'd like to tell them in person that we're together."

...

Yukari had called her parents to let them know that she would have Miho with her. The girls went by taxi to the Akiyama household, happily greeted by Yukari's parents. They were invited in for tea before lunch, the food being almost ready. They were preparing a nice meal of cheese topped marinated pork roast with seaweed and bean salad on the side. The aroma coming from the kitchen was enchanting. The girls sat down in the living room while Yukari's father went to get them drinks.

He soon returned with iced tea, Mrs. Akiyama joining them. "Mom, dad, you know Miss Nishizumi." Yukari started.

"Of course, we've met." Her mom chuckled.

"There's something else about her, though. We're... a couple now."

"A couple? As in dating?" Mr Akiyama asked.

"Yes. We've been together since just before the tournament finals."

The room fell silent for a moment. "I guess I'm not really surprised." Mrs Akiyama started. "You two were good friends from the start, you've served together in the tournament, and I guess being in a school that's all girls, there aren't exactly many boys for you to get involved with."

"I'm not really surprised either." Mr Akiyama added.

"So, you don't mind?" Yukari asked.

"Why would either of us mind? Just because you're dating another girl doesn't mean you're not still our daughter." Mrs Akiyama said.

"Yeah, we want you to be happy. If you're happy with her, that's what's important."

Yukari turned and kissed Miho on the cheek. "I'm so glad your folks are so accepting from the start."

"Was Madame Shiho less than approving?" Mrs Akiyama asked.

"I was almost disowned just for dating Yukari. But things happened that changed her outlook."

"Well, I'm glad nothing bad came of it. Come now, lunch is ready."

Everyone took their places at the table and lunch was served. It was Miho's first time having seaweed and bean salad, but she instantly loved it. The pork had been marinated with just the right herbs and spices in the marinade, and was cooked to be so tender, a spoon could be used to eat it. "Oh my, this is amazing!" Miho commented between bites.

"Mom is a great cook." Yukari added, also between bites.

"Yukari has learned to cook from her, so she can cook for you sometime." Mr Akiyama said.

"I suppose she'll end up as the housewife between you two?" Mrs Akiyama chuckled.

Yukari and Miho both blushed lightly from her question. "Um... We haven't planned that far ahead, but I guess so." Yukari answered.

"Yeah, that works. She can take care of things around the house and I'll be the breadwinner." Miho said, looking at Yukari with a smile.

"That's the spirit. Love your lady and embrace the future. It worked for me." Mr Akiyama said with a smile.

...

Yukari and Miho sat on the couch, watching a couple of comedy movies, munching on popcorn and sipping on drinks. They laughed heartily and often, sometimes laughing until they would start to cough.

Mrs Akiyama brought out bowls of ice cream for the girls, also leaving a jar of cherries and a can of whipped cream to go with it. They thanked her and used the cherries and whipped cream. She went around the corner and herself as well as Mr Akiyama peeked around the corner briefly. He had a tear forming as he smiled. "Not only does she have friends now, she has a girlfriend." He whispered as they went back to their room.

"Isn't it great? I mean, I was happy with her just having friends. But having a romantic interest? Even better." She also whispered.

After their movie marathon was finished and the dishes were returned to the kitchen, they turned the TV to a random channel and laid together on the couch, falling asleep not much longer after. Mrs Akiyama came out to check on them, and seeing they were asleep with no covers, she went back to the closet for a blanket. She covered them up and went back to bed herself.

...

Morning came and everyone met in the kitchen for breakfast. Mrs Akiyama made waffles with bacon and fruit salad on the side. "You ladies have any plans for the rest of the day?" Mrs Akiyama asked.

"We were invited to the Nishizumi estate." Yukari answered, rather nonchalantly.

Her parents looked on in shock, knowing that an invitation to the estate was extraordinarily rare. Maybe not so much for Miho since she was family, but it was different for Yukari. "You mean, you'll get to go there?" Her father asked.

"Yes. Miss Shiho invited us to stay there." Yukari answered.

"Yeah, she invited us to stay there. We can finish school, then we have a place to live afterward." Miho added.

"You'll be living the high life, then. I've never seen it, but I've heard the estate is beautiful." He said.

"Heh, you might not even need to cook for me." Miho chuckled.

"I'll do it anyway."

...

After saying goodbye to the Akiyama parents, Yukari and Miho finally made their way to the Nishizumi estate. They handed the gatekeeper their invitations and he opened the gate for them. Since the estate had a high wall for privacy and security, the main house and most of the grounds weren't visible from the road.

They were both amazed by the well maintained grounds, groomed shrubbery and opulent buildings. They made their way to the main house and were greeted at the door by Shiho, who invited them into the main room for tea.

They sat on an Italian leather couch, Shiho sitting across from them. "Glad to see you two here. After tea, I'll be showing you two to your quarters." Shiho told them.

"Are we going to be in the main house?" Miho asked.

"I thought you two would prefer privacy, so I've had one of the guest homes here renovated for you two." Shiho answered, stopping to sip her tea.

"Renovated? You mean making it nicer than it probably already is?" Yukari asked.

"Not really, it's just that we never have guests here. Only family and estate personnel are here. I guess I could say... It's mostly being refreshed. Things like a new bed, new couch, kitchen appliances have been checked out for function and safety, things like that."

"We get our own house?" Miho asked.

"Remember our agreement? You won the tournament. That means you two can be together. That also means that when you're ready to marry, you can have the ceremony here. Up until then, as well as after, you'll need a place to stay. My daughter and future daughter in law will be staying somewhere in comfort, and the house you'll have will give you that comfort."

...

Shiho walked Miho and Yukari to the guest house they were getting and showed them around. It was a two story house with two bedrooms, three and a half baths, a kitchen with high class appliances and an attached garage. She handed them ID cards with chips in them, so they could use the entrances other than the main gate. She hugged them both and left them to their home.

Yukari made them a decent lunch in the luxurious kitchen, cheeseburgers with fried eggs on top and crinkle cut fries. Miho was amazed at the skill Yukari had in the kitchen, putting together such a simple yet delicious and rather hearty meal.

After cleaning up, they sat together on the new couch and shared a brief kiss. "Well, our future is here. How do you feel?" Miho asked.

"Hon, we could be living in a simple studio apartment with hardly enough room for us and I'd be happy. This amazing house is a very big plus."

"I feel the same way. Let's see what's on the TV."

Miho picked up the remote and hit the power button. A projection screen rolled down from the ceiling and the high definition projector started displaying the default channel, surround sound speakers played the sound. "That's not just a TV. It's a whole home theater." Yukari said, eyes wide open.

"We need to have a movie night with this."


	13. Chapter 13

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

After watching a couple of movies on TV, Miho and Yukari decided it was about time to eat dinner. Yukari looked in the refrigerator and got out some boneless chicken breasts, teriyaki sauce, celery, carrots and red cabbage. Miho turned on the stove and put a skillet on it to heat up. Yukari started cutting the vegetables and Miho cut the chicken, then Miho put light oil in the pan.

When Miho put the chicken in the pan, it made a satisfying sizzle. When the vegetables were cut, Yukari slid them into the pan and started adding the teriyaki sauce, which put off a delicious aroma. Because the chicken was cut thin enough, it didn't take too long to cook. When they plated everything and sat at the table, Miho looked at her chicken a little worried. "Oh no, it looks a little burned."

Yukari looked at both of their plates and didn't find anything wrong. "A little char is fine. It adds a bit of flavor, especially since we used the teriyaki sauce. If you want, I can make something else." She said with a smile.

Miho took a bite of the chicken and saw what she meant. It was a bit crispy, but the flavor was amazing. "I'll let you handle the cooking. You really know what you're doing, this is great!"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

...

After eating and cleaning up in the kitchen, they went to take a bath together, as they were used to doing at the academy. The bathroom was enormous for the two of them, the bath being almost the same size as the one at school. They undressed and stepped in the bath, taking time to relax for a moment first. Miho put her arm around Yukari and gave her a quick kiss. "We've come a long way in such a short time." Miho said, smiling.

"We sure have. Went from almost losing the school to having a nice, big house like this one. The best part is, now your mom is okay with us being together."

"Yeah. I'm going to see if mom will let us invite the team over for a movie night soon. This place has more than enough room."

Yukari turned to hug Miho, and started kissing her. Even they separated Yukari looked into her eyes with love. "That sounds wonderful. But for now, at least tonight, let's enjoy ourselves. The whole world is out there, but this is our space."

Miho kissed her back. "You're my whole world."

...

After their bath, they looked around to find their bedrooms. They were only able to find one, with a queen sized bed in it. "Um, is this the only bedroom?" Yukari asked.

"I think so." Miho said, walking over to sit on the bed.

"I guess this is your room. I can-" Yukari started, but Miho stopped her.

"My mom didn't say anything about there being more than one bed, or more than one bedroom. I guess you sleep in here with me."

Yukari started blushing. "Eh, I sleep in the bed with you? I mean, I'm not complaining. Just..."

Miho patted the bed beside her. "Just hop in."

Yukari climbed in bed with Miho and they snuggled up close. "What, were you afraid I'd bite you?"

"No, I'm just not used to sharing a bed with anyone. Not that I'd be against a nibble."

Feeling mischievous, Miho moved her hand up and lightly pinched Yukari on the nipple, making her jump. "Was that not what you meant?"

Yukari once again blushed bright red. "I said nibble, not nipple. But... I'm not mad. You can touch my girls if you want."

"Okay, I understand." Miho said, moving to lightly nibble on her ear.

"Oh my gosh, Miho!" Yukari said, chuckling.

"Am I doing it wrong?"

"No, I'm just kinda ticklish."

"What about your girls? You ticklish there?"

Yukari unbuttoned her night shirt to start exposing her chest. "If... If you want to find out..."

"You don't need to do that, I was just kidding."

"I won't mind if you do."

Picking up on her hint, Miho moved her hand to Yukari's chest and put it on her right breast. She gave a light squeeze and noticed Yukari smiling with her eyes closed. "I must not be doing it right. You're not laughing." Miho said, again lightly pinching her nipple.

Yukari let out a light squeal and chuckle. "That's where it is."

...

Morning came and Miho was awake first. She looked over at Yukari, who had taken her shirt all the way off in the night, but she was laying on her belly. "You're such a beauty" Miho whispered.

Miho got up and went to make some coffee for the two of them. The smell brought Yukari from her sleep, she put on a shirt and walked to the kitchen to join her girlfriend. "Hey hon, about last night. Sorry if things... Got weird." Yukari said.

"No, it's fine. If anything, I should apologize to you. I got you started. Anyway, sit down and let's have some coffee."

Yukari accepted the coffee put cream and sugar in it and took a sip. "Wow, this is great! What kind of coffee is this?"

"It's the high class stuff my mom likes." Miho answered, looking at the bag. "Come to think of it, everything in here is high class stuff. The food, the appliances, TV, bath, bed, everything."

"She really set us up good."

The doorbell rang and Miho went to answer it. Shiho was there with Ami, and they had paper bags with them. Miho invited them in and they all went to sit at the kitchen table. Yukari stood up and bowed to them as they returned the gesture. "I take it you ladies slept well." Shiho said with her now, less rare smile.

"Yes, we did. That bed is super comfy." Miho answered.

Shiho and Ami put the bags down and pulled to-go boxes out, setting them on the table for everyone. Miho handed them both their own cups of coffee and everyone opened their boxes. "Ladies, I've got a surprise for everyone." Ami began as she stirred sugar in her coffee. "It's a couple of new tanks for the school, but I won't tell you which ones. You'll have to wait and see."

"Can you tell us what country they come from?" Yukari asked, eyes wide open at the idea of new tanks.

"Nope. You'll have to wait like everyone else." Ami said as she sipped her coffee.

"That's my Yukari. Always excited about tanks."


	14. Chapter 14

I do not own Girls Und Panzer in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.

...

Anglerfish, Turtle and Mallard teams were all called to the main hangar aboard the Oarai carrier for a special presentation. What was odd was that they were seeing Japanese soldiers, but even more strange was the presence of Chinese soldiers. They were standing near a large vehicle which was behind a large curtain, presumably a new tank for them to use. They came in and stood to the front of the curtain, taking wild guesses as to what was behind it. Yukari was making the wildest guesses, but had a solid idea of what it could be. "Okay, if there's eleven of us, and only one tank, it could be the Char 2C, or it could be the O-1, or maybe even the Sturmpanzerwagen! Wait, no, that's a first world war tank..." She said, buzzing about with vigor.

"Ladies, I'm sure you're wondering why you're here and why theres something behind this curtain." Captain Chono began. "Probably also wondering about the Chinese soldiers here."

"Yes, that did strike me as odd." Miho responded.

"Well, the thing is, there is indeed a new tank for you all to use behind this curtain. It will require all of you to operate it, however."

The Captain signaled one of the JGSDF troopers to move the curtain. Once it was out of the way, all of the girls started looking wide eyed at the new tank, which was a Japanese O-1 Superheavy tank. Yukari almost fainted, Miho cathcing her. "Watch out there, hon. You don't want to pass out before we get to use it."

"But it's a superheavy! It's an O-1!" Yukari said, still awestruck by the vehicle before them.

"How can we use this?" Sodoko asked.

"You see, this is not a reproduction. This is the original O-1. Since it was completed and had begun trials before August 1945, it can be used." The Captain answered.

"But I thought there wasn't any information to support that one was even built." Sodoko said, still wondering about it.

"That's where the PLA soldiers come into this. The O-1 here was sent into Manchuria. The Chinese army overwhelmed the crew and captured it. It has remained as a trophy until recently, when they decided to give it back. That came with a condition, the condition being that Chinese schools be allowed to participate in the tournament. A hefty donation to the council helped influence their decision."

"Now, we might have something that can fight the Maus a little easier." Anzu chuckled.

"You'll probably also be a match for the University team and their T28." Captain Chono said with a smile. "Oops, was I supposed to say that? Eh, it's out there now. Anyway, you ladies board your new vehicle and take it out to the field. You'll be in an exhibition match against others from select schools."

"Which schools?" Miho asked.

"You'll see. Get ready."

...

Once everyone had taken their places in the O-1, the heavy beast from the second world war made its way to the field. Once the Panzer Vor order was given, they moved it closer to a treeline for some cover, which only did so much to hide the massive silhouette of the vehicle. Out of nowhere, a well placed shot from an 88mm gun shattered on impact with the glacis, which made noise, but didn't make the vehicle budge and didn't make the flag pop. Miho looked through the periscope and saw the number '212' on the turret of a Tiger. Maho was in one of the competing schools and her tank fired a shot that would likely have disabled a tank with less armor.

Yukari loaded a round into the breech of the main gun while Hana spun the turret to return fire. Once she had the tiger dialed in, she fired, but the tiger started moving just as she was firing. The round would have been a solid hit as well, but it struck the ground behind it. The explosion was large enough to cast dirt into the air, and certainly let the Tiger crew know they were in for a fight. Sodoko in the starboard turret fired an armor piercing round at the Tiger and hit, but it had no effect other than a scratch on the paint.

Mako started turning the O-1 to assist the turn speed of the main turret, which made the difference. Yukari reloaded and Hana took the shot again. The impact and explosion were powerful enough to lift the bow of the tank off the ground by a few inches, and also popped the flag. "Kuromorimine Tiger I disabled." Was announced over the radio.

The O-1 started moving to displace, as the explosions would draw attention and the vehicle wasn't nimble enough to evade much of anything. When they were in the open, the port side of the hull was hit by an HE shell. The thick armor once again negated the damage. Miho looked through the periscope again and saw a Crusader Mk III moving about. Mako turned to port, thinking Hana would put another 105mm round on target. Hana was spinning the turret to do so, but was beaten to the punch by Sodoko. She had reloaded and mover her own turret into position, fired and hit the fast moving vehicle. The round appeared to be a lucky shot, managing to go low after bouncing off of the low side of the armor on the turret, lodging itself between the turret and hull. It wasn't enough to pop the flag, but it was enough to jam the turret. When Hana lined up the main gun, she noticed the tank stopping and the commander's hatch opening. Rosehip started waving a handkerchief, signaling surrender. "St. Gloriana Crusader Mk III partially disabled, crew surrender." Was announced.

"We're taking hits and still going. I don't want to get too cocky, but it's starting to look like we might make it through this." Miho said, keeping a concerned look about her.

As if answering her concerns about being cocky, three shots hit the tank at almost the same time, one on the main turret, the others on the glacis. All of them were armor piercing, but shattered when they hit the armor. To the front were three tanks from Chihatan academy, boldly charging the massive tank. Yukari loaded an AP round as well, Hana took aim at the lead vehicle and fired. The formation Chihatan were using was a bad choice, the AP round hit the lead vehicle on the hull with enough force to pop its flag, but the round bounced and hit the next one in line, also popping its flag. "Two Chihatan Shinhoto disabled."

Sodoko reloaded as well and prepared to fire at the remaining tank from Chihatan. In a typical move, the Chi-Ha continued charging. They managed to ram the O-1, but it had almost no effect. With the 37mm gun only a few feet away from the Chi-Ha turret, Sodoko fired, the close range shot popping the flag. "Chihatan Chi-Ha disabled."

...

Still moving, the O-1 crew saw something that was very wide and seemed to be moving, albeit rather slowly. It stopped and fired, the round bouncing off the hull and hitting the ground. This round was large and fast enough to jar the O-1 slightly, and when it did, everyone realized what it had to have been. The low silhouette, slow movement and powerful gun meant it was indeed the University team's T28. Yukari loaded another HE shell and Hana fired at it, the round hitting with enough force to blow the port side external tracks and carriage off. Since the external tracks were unpowered and not vital to the vehicle, its flag didn't pop and it kept moving. Sodoko tried shooting at it, with expected results. The AP round looked as though it was striking a match on the thick armor of the T28. The T28 fired again, this time having the round bounce off of the main turret as it did not hit a flat spot.

Still moving and relatively unfazed, the O-1 continued moving. Hana fired again, the AP round slamming into the mantlet with enough force to jam its gun into a completely fixed position. It also damaged the firing mechanism, but it didn't pop the flag. "University T28 partially disabled, unable to continue."

Everyone cheered after having taken on so many other tanks, including deadly models that had proven difficult to defeat. A shot from the distance rang out and a great force jarred the tank again, much to the surprise of everyone, as they thought they had taken out the final opponent. Mako and Hana turned the O-1 and main turret to face the direction they were shot at from. Yukari loaded an HE round and Hana dialed in the aggressor. It didn't appear to be any regular WW2 tank, which immediately had everyone thinking of what it could've been. Hana made the shot, not really expecting to hit the target due to the distance between them. The round hit the mud guard on the starboard side of the tracks, blowing the tracks off as well. "Pravda T-54 partially disabled, unable to continue."

...

After the match, everyone from all teams gathered at the hangar for the after action reports. The Oarai team asked about the T-54, not thinking that a cold war tank was allowed to compete. Everyone looked at Captain Chono, who pointed to Yukari. "Eh, it is actually allowed. The T-54 had prototypes built and in trials by August 1945, so the rules allow it." Yukari told everyone.

"You just watch out. We may meet again." The University T28 commander said as she walked away.

"Jeez, what's her problem?" Yukari huffed.

"The University team wasn't expecting another superheavy to be their target, I'm guessing." Maho answered.

"With this new tank, we should do just fine the next time we meet." Miho said, taking Yukari's hand.

"I guess you're right."

Mako stood next to Sodoko and took her hand as well. "You did well today. Knocked out two." Mako told her.

"Couldn't have done it without a competent driver." Sodoko responded, kissing her hand.

"In the end, you ladies performed excellently. Not many tanks would have the ability to knock out the T28 like that. Not from that range, anyway." Captain Chono said.

...

That night at home, Yukari was trying to move her arm around in an effort to relieve some of the soreness in her shoulder from loading the much heavier shells in the O-1. She kept doing it until Miho asked about it. "I'll be okay, I've just got to work it out a bit." Yukari answered.

"Let me help you with it."

Miho took them to the bedroom. She asked Yukari to take off her shirt and lay face down on the bed. Yukari went along with it, Miho looking away as she took off her shirt. "You've seen them before. Besides, we're girlfriends. I don't mind if you look." Yukari told her.

Miho turned around and looked Yukari in the eye. She closed her eyes and kissed her. "I love you, Yukari. Now lay down on the bed."

Yukari laid down and Miho mounted her, starting to rub her shoulders and back. Feeling adventurous, Miho kept going further down. Eventually she grabbed Yukari by the rear. "Hey, those aren't my shoulders." Yukari laughed.

"Butt... I couldn't help it." Miho also said laughing.

Miho kept rubbing her shoulders and back until she could tell Yukari was asleep. Then she covered both of them up and kissed Yukari on the cheek. "Sleep tight, hon."


End file.
